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Mercedes-AMG considering turbo fours, hybrid sixes for future performance sedans

Think of the letters AMG and you'll probably end up picturing a performance sedan with a big V8. Such has become, after all, the Mercedes turning division's calling card. But with the introduction of its 2.0-liter turbo four, AMG is working at turning that notion on its head.
The highly potent engine produces 355 horsepower and is presently installed in the A45 AMG hatchback, CLA45 AMG sedan and GLA45 AMG crossover, giving Benz's smallest family a full range of performance models. But that might not be the full extent of the high-strung four-pot's use.
Speaking with AMG boss Tobias Moers, Britain's What Car? magazine reports that Affalterbach is considering slotting the same engine into larger models, particularly performance sedans like the C-Class. As we recently reported, Mercedes is already preparing to up the power from the turbo V6 in the C400 to slot a C450 Sport in below the C63 AMG. The C450 is expected to offer around 367 horsepower where the CLA45 AMG et al pack 355, but the lighter weight of the four-cylinder engine would likely offset the truancy of those extra dozen horses. Of course such a prospect would be much further down the pipeline than the C450 Sport which is expected to arrive much sooner.

EVO "2012 Car of the Year: The Track Battles" is a sports car salmagundi

EVO has come out with another gotta-watch-it video, throwing its 2012 Car of the Year contestants around the UK's 1.5-mile Blyton Park track. It's actually a 15-minute teaser for the full-length DVD detailing the magazine's Car of the Year selection, but the tease is worth every penny free second.
Tiff Needell and sports car racer Richard Meaden handle the wheel duties, the two driving five pairs of sports cars: Lotus Exige S vs. Porsche Boxster S, Morgan Three-Wheeler vs. Toyota GT86, BMW M135i vs. Porsche 911, Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Black Series vs. Alpina B3 GT3, the marquee event pits the McLaren MP4-12C vs. the Pagani Huayra. After a head-to-head lap with commentary during drifts, Meaden takes each car out to set a representative lap time.
You'll find the verdicts, lots of tire smoke, and lines like "Anything you can do sideways I can do sideways" in the video below.

Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe is ready to tackle BMW's X6

Under the chiseled hood of the GLE 450 AMG sits a 3.0L, twin-turbo V6 with 362 hp and 384 lb-ft. Years after the polarizing BMW X6 originally hit the market, Mercedes-Benz has finally unveiled its slope-roofed challenger, and much like Munich's Sport Activity Vehicle, we think the new GLE Coupe will split opinions rather dramatically. While it clearly shares its form factor with BMW's X4 and X6, the GLE Coupe's styling is all Mercedes, borrowing the more organic shapes used on the company's most recent new model, the AMG GT. Strips of chrome and the iconic silver arrow logo bisect a large, rectangular grille, while the fascia on the GLE 450 shown above features three rather dramatic lower air intakes. The headlights, meanwhile, fit in with MB's latest styling language. In back, slim, wraparound taillights share some resemblance with the new S-Class Coupe. The cabin is recognizable and looks to be of extremely high quality, with the featured vehicle showing off quite a lot of carbon-fiber trim. A thick-rimmed, flat-bottomed steering wheel dominates the driver's area, while a large, tablet-like display crowns the center stack. The same sort of touch-controlled interface and input dial found on the new C-Class controls the information on that screen. Under the chiseled hood of the GLE 450 AMG, the first of Mercedes' AMG Sport models, sits a 3.0-liter, twin-turbocharged V6. Unlike the 329-horsepower unit in the C400 and E400, the force-induced V6 generates 362 hp and an equally robust 384 pound-feet of torque. It's mated up to a new nine-speed automatic transmission and Mercedes' 4Matic all-wheel-drive system. A new version of the popular Airmatic suspension is being offered with the ADS Plus continuously variable dampers while Mercedes is also fitting its Active Curve System, complete with active roll stabilization. Mercedes doesn't provide many additional details on the GLE Coupe range, as it were. We know about the 450 AMG, but it's not clear whether there will be a GLE 400 or non-AMG 450, or if Mercedes will move it down market and offer a GLE 350 to compete with the X6's xDrive35i. There's also no mention of when or where the new model will debut, although previous reports point to the 2015 Detroit Auto Show. Prices and an on-sale date, meanwhile, have not been revealed. Scroll down for the full press blast from Mercedes-Benz on its newest model, the 2016 GLE Coupe. Premiere: Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe A sportier choice Stuttgart.